Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things (87 page)

Ireland

Halloween, 62–63

St. Patrick’s Day, 53–55

Irons, clothes, 143–46

Iroquois Indians, New Year’s Eve, 47

Irving, Washington, 301

Israelites.
See
Hebrews

Italy

condoms, 334–35

eyeglasses, 264–67

fairy tales, 170, 173–75

fork, 78–79

glass mirror, 229–30

pants, 299–300

pretzel, 389–90

toys that glow in the dark, 381–82

IUDs (intrauterine devices), 333–34

Ivory Soap, 218–19

“Jack and Jill” (nursery rhyme), 188

“Jack Be Nimble” (nursery rhyme), 189

Jack-o’-lantern, 63–64

Jackson, James Caleb, 414

Jacobs, Mary Phelps, 341

Jaeger, Gustav, 340

James, Betty, 381

James, Richard, 380–81

Jantzen, Carl, 321–22

Japan, fans, 312–13

Jarvis, Anna, 59–60

Jefferson, Thomas, 66, 76–77, 281, 282, 284, 290, 388, 402

Jenner, Edward, 226

Jergens, Andrew, 228

Jergens Lotion, 228

Jews.
See also
Hebrews

bathing, 200

Jezebel, queen, 223

Jockey brief, 340–41

Johnny Appleseed, 277–78

Johnson, John, 361

Johnson, Robert, 250

Johnson & Johnson, 250

Jones, Samuel, 109

Judas, 13, 15–16

Judson, Whitcomb, 316–17

Julius Caesar, 1, 8, 15, 46–47

Justy, Johann Heinrich Gottlob von, 100

Kamptulicon, 152

Kellog, John, 414

Kennedy, John F., 277, 285

Ketchup, 401–3

Key, Francis Scott, 279, 287

Kilmer, Frederick, 251

Kimberly-Clark, 206–7

Kinderfeste
, 33

Kipling, Rudyard, 185

Kiss, Max, 264

Kisses, XXX for, 52

Kitchen, 96–130

aluminum cookware, 101

aluminum foil, 113–14

blender, 111–13

brown paper bag, 107–8

can opener, 115–16

coffeepots, 119–21

dishwasher, 103–4

disposable paper cups, 122–24

earthenware, 96–97

food processor, 114–15

matches, 108–9

microwave oven, 125–26

porcelain pots and pans, 100–01

Pyrex ware, 124–25

ranges, 98–99

S.O.S. pads, 102–3

Teflon, 105–7

thermos bottle, 116–17

toaster, 117–18

Tupperware, 129–30

turnspit, 97–98

water softeners, 104–5

whistling teakettle, 119

Kitchenware.
See
Cookware Kites, 371–72

Klapp, Eugene, 356

Kleenex tissues, 206–7

Knerr, Richard, 372–73

Knickers, 301–2

Knife, 80–81 crossing fork and, 81

Knight, Phil, 299

Knocking on wood, 6–8

Kohl, 18

Koningsbronn foundry, 100

Krafft, A., 154

Laboulaye, Edouard de, 291

Lacoste, René, 304–5

Lacoste shirt, 304–5

Ladder, walking under a, 17

Ladies’ Home Journal
, 352–53

Ladies’ Mercury
(magazine), 349–50

Ladies’ Magazine
, 66

“Ladybird, Ladybird” (nursery rhyme), 191

Lamps

fluorescent, 137

gas, 135–36

incandescent, 136

oil, 133–34

Lanvin, Jeanne, 242

Lapel hole, 306

Lapis solaris, 381–82

Last Supper, 13, 15–16

Laughing gas (nitrous oxide), 214

Lavoisier, Antoine, 135

Lawn, 160–62

Lawn mower, 162–63

Lawrence, Joseph, 248–50

Laxatives, 263–64

Lay, Herman, 389

Lazarus, Emma, 293

Lea, John, 403

Lee, Rev. William, 346

Leeuwenhoek, Antonie de, 336

Leonardi da Vinci, 98

Leonardo Da Vinci, 134

Leotard, 302

Léotard, Jules, 302

Leo X, Pope, 266

“Let them eat cake,” 95

Library of Congress, 282

Librium, 271–72

Liebig, Baron Justus von, 153

Life
(magazine), 359–61

Lighting, indoor, 133–38

Lincoln, Abraham, 67, 275, 284, 290

Linoleum, 151–52

Lipstick, 225

Lister, Sir Joseph, 248–49

Listerine, 248–50

Literature.
See
Books

“Little Boy Blue” (nursery rhyme), 185–86

“Little Jack Homer” (nursery rhyme), 189–90

“Little Miss Muffet” (nursery rhyme), 195–96

“Little Red Riding Hood” (fairy tale), 168, 169, 171–72

Littleton, Jesse, 124

Loafers, 298

Loki, 12, 13

“London Bridge” (nursery rhyme), 191–92

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 70, 187

Look
(magazine), 360–61

L’Oréal, 233

Lorillard, Pierre, IV, 307

Louis XIV, king of France, 212, 298

Louvre, the, 132

Low, Juliette, 285

Luce, Henry, 359–60, 364–66

Lucifers, 109

Luck.
See
Superstitions

Lucretius, 26

Luden, William, 260

Lupercalia, 396

Lupercus, 50, 51

Luther, Martin, 70

Lyes, alkaline, 155

Lyman, William W., 116

McConnell, David, 243, 244

McFatrich, James and George, 261–62

Mclhenny, Edmund, 404–5

Macintosh, Charles, 320

McMein, Neysa, 409

Mademoiselle
(magazine), 356

Madison, James, 290

Magazines, 349–67

Cosmopolitan
, 354–55

Ebony
, 361

Esquire
, 361–62

Fortune
, 366

Good Housekeeping
, 353–54

House Beautiful
, 356–57

Ladies’ Home Journal
, 352–53

Life
, 359–61

Look
, 360–61

Mademoiselle
, 356

National Geographic
, 357–58

Newsweek
, 366–67

Reader’s Digest
, 362–63

Scientific American
, 358–59

Time
, 364–66

TV Guide
, 363–64

Vogue
, 355–56

Magic Square, 375–76

Magnetron, 125–26

Maidenform, 343

Makeup.
See
Cosmetics and toiletries Manicuring, 226–27

Marbles, 368–69

Marches, wedding, 28–29

Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, 95, 325

“Marines’ Hymn, The,” 288–89

Marker, Russell, 337

Marks, Johnny, 75

Marriage and wedding customs, 21–31

banns, 25

best man, 21

carrying the bride over the threshold, 21

certificate of marriage, 30–31

diamond engagement rings, 22–24

honeymoon, 28

Northern Europe (around
A.D
. 200), 21–22

throwing shoes at the bride, 26–27

wedding cake, 25–26, 27

wedding march, 28–29

wedding rings, 22, 24–25

white wedding dress and veil, 29–30

Marsh, Albert, 133

Martin, Sarah Catherine, 194–95

Martyn, Thomas, 367

“Mary, Mary” (nursery rhyme), 193–94

Mary, Queen of Scots, 193–94, 235

“Mary Had a Little Lamb” (nursery rhyme), 193

Mascara, 18–19

Massasoit, Chief, 65

Matchbooks, 110–11

Matches, friction, 108–11

Mattel toy company, 385–86

Mattressses, 329–31

May, Robert, 75

Mayonnaise, 404

Medici, Catherine de’, 418

Medicine-chest items, 245–64

Alka-Seltzer, 257–58

antacids, 256–58

antiperspirants, 255–56

aspirin, 272–73

Band-Aid, 250–51

cough drops, 258–60

deodorants, 254–55

Dr. Scholl’s foot products, 262–63

eye drops, 261–62

laxatives, 263–64

Listerine, 248–50

modern drugs, 246

sedatives, 271–72

stimulants, 269–70

suntan lotion, 260–61

vaseline, 247–48

Vick’s VapoRub, 252–54

witch hazel, 251–52

Melba Toast, 401

Melitta filter system, 120

Melmac, 129

Menander, 231

Mendelssohn, Felix, 28, 29

Mensinga, Wilhelm, 333

Mercure Galant
(magazine), 349

Merlin, Joseph, 382

Meyerbeer, Giacomo, 382

Michtom, Morris, 374

Microwave oven, 125–26

Miles Laboratories, 257

Mirror, 229–30

broken, superstition surrounding, 11

Mistletoe, 68–69

Mitchell, James, 412–13

Mitchell, John, 359

Mithraism, 67–68

“Monk,” 42

Monopoly (game), 378–79

Monroe, Marilyn, 243

“Monsignor,” 42

Montagu, John, 400

Montgomery Ward department store, 75

Moore, Clement Clarke, 73–74

Moore, Hugh, 122–24

Morphine, 258

Morrison, Walter Frederick, 372

Morse code, 102–3

Mortarboard, 308

Mosquito netting, 327

Mother’s Day, 58–60

Mother Goose, 182–83

Mother Hubbard, 194–95

Mourning, black for, 36–37

Movie houses, air-conditioned, 160

Muffet, Thomas, 196

Muhammed, prophet, 14

Mum antiperspirant, 255–56

Mummer’s Day Parade, 48

Munn, Orson, 358

Mure, Eleanor, 178

Musk, 241

My Sin perfume, 242

Nail polish, 226–27

Napkins, 81–82

Napoleon Bonaparte, 1,58, 101, 122

Narwin, Michael, 152

Nast, Condé, 356

Nast, Thomas, 74, 275

Natalis Solis Invicti, 68

Nathan’s franks, 397–98

National Biscuit Company (Nabisco), 412, 413

National Geographic Magazine, The
, 357–58

Nativity, 67

Neanderthals, 1–2

funerals, 35

Neckties, 305–6

Negligee, 339

Negro Digest
, 361

Nekal detergent, 154

Nelson, Lord Horatio, 5

Neon light, 136–37

Nero, Roman emperor, 240

“New Colossus, The” (Lazarus), 293

Newsweek
(magazine), 366–67

New Year’s baby, 49

New Year’s Day, 45–49

New Year’s Eve, 47–48

New Year’s resolutions, 48–49

New York World
, 375–76

Nicholas, St., 72–74

Nicholas I, Pope, 23

Nickerson, William, 216

“Night Before Christmas, The” (Moore), 73–74

Nightgown, 338–39

Nike sneakers, 299

Nitrous oxide (laughing gas), 214

Nivea, 228

Nixon, Richard, 61

Norse mythology

Friday the thirteenth in, 13

number thirteen in, 12, 13

stork myth, 19

Noxzema, 228

Number thirteen, 11–13

“Nun,” 42

Nursery rhymes, 182–97

“Baa, Baa, Black Sheep,” 185

“Cock-a-Doodle-Doo,” 186

“The First Day of Christmas,” 186

“Hark, Hark,” 187

“Hey Diddle Diddle,” 187–88

“Humpty Dumpty,” 188

“Hush-a-bye, Baby,” 183–84

“Jack and Jill,” 188

“Jack Be Nimble,” 189

“Ladybird, Ladybird,” 191

“Little Boy Blue,” 185–86

“Little Jack Horner,” 189–90

“Little Miss Muffet,” 195–96

“London Bridge,” 191–92

“Mary, Mary,” 193–94

“Mary Had a Little Lamb,” 193

“Mother Goose,” 182–83

“Old Dame Trot, and Her Comical Cat,” 195

“Old Mother Hubbard,” 194–95

“Ride a Cock-Horse,” 184–85

“Ring-a-Ring o’ Roses,” 196

“See-Saw, Margery Daw,” 192–93

“Sing a Song of Sixpence,” 196–97